The tactile system is one of the major sensory systems as it influences visual and auditory processing, as well as motor planning, body awareness, social skills and emotional responses.
Our tactile system, commonly known as the sense of touch, is activated through receptors in our skin- we receive information through sensations of pressure, movement, temperature, pain, pleasure are sensory receptions in our skin
The person with tactile dysfunction may exhibit either hypersensitive (defensive) or hyposensitive( under-responsive to touch) tactile traits
hypersensitive - the child /person may
- be sensitive to touch – scratches/rubs the area touches, physically withdraws from the touch; dislikes being touched
- dislike certain textures of clothing, shoes, bedding, or clothes tag
- dislike having face/hair washed, sensitive to water temperatures, may resist bathing and react to weather changes
- avoid certain textures of food
- dislike finger painting /glueing /sandplay
- dislike group games in case he gets touched, becomes irritable when qeueing up or when someone accidentally bumps into him
- isolate himself , fighting off anybody entering into his territory
hyposensitive– the child may
- seek cuddling and physical contact more than other children
- be less responsive to firm touch, insensitive to bruises, bumps
- avoid gross movement activities
- respond in a sluggish, uncertain manner, be unaware of a runny nose or messiness around the mouth area
- apply too little or too much pressure when using writing materials, scissors, buttons, shoelaces, gloves, socks
- have diminished awareness of the shapes, size, temperature or density, thereby needing to touch repeatedly in order to receive strong tactile information
- be easily discouraged, and appear unmotivated
Activities that help develop tactile integration
- Beach Ball - keep the ball in the air, by hitting it with both hands above the head
- Angel Wings - lying on the beach, move arms up and down at the side of the body To make angel wings in the sand., move legs sideways and together Again.
- Sand mounds – push mounds of sand using arms on the beach
- Sand Over – on the beach, bury someone else or own self in sand with head sticking out, bury ,Feet, wiggling toes to get free
- Sand drawing – draw around persons lying on the beach with the finger or the Hand
- Finger painting – use paint, mix sand with paint, or use shaving cream
- Box play – using boxes of different shapes, stack them to form towers, houses; Create obstacle course, moving around boxes.
- Blind Man’s Buff - the group sits in a circle. One person is blindfolded and put in the middle of the circle, he crawls to someone and tries to identify the person.
- Surprise Box – put different objects in a box , seal the box, and cut a hole on the Top of the box big enough for the hand to go through. The game is for the child to guess what toy or object he is touching without Looking at it.
- Rub-Down – with a rough towel, give a brisk rub-down, brush arms, legs and back with a soft brush, sponge, thick washcloths etc
Bibliography
- Sensory integration and the Child – Jean Ayres
- The Out-of-Sync Child – Carol Kranowitz
- The Sensory Sensitive Child – Karen A Smith and Daren Gouze
- Sensational Kids – Hope and Help for children with Sensory Processing Disorder – Lucy Jane Miller & Doris Fuller
- Kids in the Syndrome Mix of ADHD, LD, Apsperger’s, Tourette’s, Bipolar, and More - Martin L. Kutscher, MD
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